Have an appointment for a hearing test and want to know what to expect? In this article, you’ll learn about the types, uses, functions, goals and risks of hearing tests.
What is a hearing test?
A hearing test or audiometry is used to diagnose diseases of the hearing organs. Typical areas of application are incipient hearing loss or age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). Do you still hear well enough? Just like the deterioration of vision, the decline of hearing is a gradual process. The first step in a hearing test is to check your hearing and, if necessary, to detect a hearing disorder. A distinction is made between two different test methods: the subjective hearing test, which requires the patient’s cooperation, and the objective hearing test – also called brainstem audiometry or ABR – in which brain waves are measured. The objective hearing test is particularly recommended for babies and young children. In the subjective hearing test, there are again different procedures, namely sound audiometry, speech audiometry and recruitment measurement. If the aim is to check the setting of a hearing aid, the hearing test used is speech audiometry. Recruitment measurement, on the other hand, determines where the origin of a hearing disorder is, for example, in the auditory nerve or in the brain.
Function, effect and goals
Hearing tests are performed for a variety of reasons. In 2007, scientists from Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle caused a stir with a study in which they compared the results of numerous hearing tests of healthy babies and babies who died of sudden infant death syndrome and found significant differences. Otherwise, the earlier a hearing disorder is detected, the better. Therefore, the first hearing test should be performed shortly after birth. This involves testing the reaction of the inner ear to a soft sound with a volume of 35 db – corresponding, for example, to the hum of a quiet room fan from a meter away. If the test result is conspicuous, brainstem audiometry is also performed. This newborn hearing screening is paid for by the health insurance company, just like the usual preventive examinations. Since there are also unilateral hearing disorders, parents should make sure that the results of this screening are good in both ears. If the pediatrician determines at U3 in the 3rd/4th month that a child may not hear well, he or she will refer the child to a specialist in otolaryngology or to the pediatric audiology department of a nearby clinic for a hearing test. Hearing aids are available for babies as young as three months. And that’s important, because only a child who hears well will learn to speak properly. A hearing test may also be necessary for adults. If, for example, you are exposed to constant noise pollution at your workplace, you notice that your hearing has deteriorated over time or you suddenly suffer from ringing in the ears, you should consult an ENT specialist as soon as possible. He or she will likely perform both a subjective and objective hearing test. After illnesses such as a middle ear infection, rotary vertigo or an external ear infection, hearing tests are used to determine whether and to what extent hearing has been affected as a result.
Risks and dangers
Subjective hearing testing is not painful or associated with any health risks. However, when it is performed on a child, it happens that it does not give a clear result because, for example, the little patient lacks concentration. Therefore, as with a baby, an objective hearing test is often performed in such a case. Anyone who has a baby or toddler knows how difficult it is to get them to hold still. It may also resist the electrodes on its head. To save those involved a time-consuming procedure, the hearing test is often performed under general anesthesia – with the usual risks and side effects such as nausea and vomiting. When the breathing tube is inserted, for example, there may be injuries to the mouth and throat. In rare cases, the patient suffers cardiac arrest during anesthesia and must be resuscitated. Parents understandably have their reservations about a hearing test under general anesthesia. But if their child repeatedly refuses to cooperate, this examination method remains the only option.
Diseases associated with hearing loss
- Otitis media
- Hearing loss
- Otosclerosis
- Acoustic trauma (bang trauma)
- Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
